The evolution of modern treatment strategies in alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects individuals over the age of 65 years though early onset Alzheimer’s is reported in people as young as 40 or 50. Despite accounting for roughly 70% of dementia cases, the disease's precise pathogenesis remains poorly understood and continues to elude definitive characterization. Among others, the cause of the disease involves a combination of factors that include the abnormal formation and aggregation of proteins, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruption in the cholinergic pathway. With the number of cases expected to increase to 139 million by 2050 (1), researchers are deciphering the disease causal factors and pathogenesis in order to lay the foundation for the potential treatment of AD.